With 13th pick, Dallas has no shortage of options on the table

First, a few facts about the Mavericks as they head
into Thursday night’s NBA draft.

No. 1, they will not trade Shawn Marion or Vince Carter. That is, they won’t
be sending them away simply to shed salary cap money. Now if somebody offers
them something they can’t refuse, that’s different. One-sided trades are always
good for the team they are tilted toward.

No. 2, they are not going to ship the 13th overall draft pick to Oklahoma
City as compensation for the future pick the Mavericks owe the Thunder, thanks
to the Lamar Odom fiasco.

That draft pick they sent to the Lakers landed north of the Red River before
last season. There are better offers on the table for the 13th pick than what
Oklahoma City is willing to surrender, so far.

No. 3, the Mavericks are not unequivocally shipping out the 13th pick.

It’s that last bit of truth that could shed a lot of light on what’s really
going on with Dallas, not only now but in the future regarding free agency and,
we assume, Dwight Howard.

While they have done a very good job of holding their cards close to the
vest, there’s no doubting that they have been talking to virtually every team in
the NBA about trading the 13th pick, their highest since 2000. Numerous rumors
linked the Mavericks with Cleveland, and that makes some sense since those teams
concocted a draft-night trade last season that worked out well for both
sides.

Whatever happens, the Mavericks are likely to wait until they are on the
clock before pulling the trigger on any deal. Teams tend to make their best
offers when they are under the gun.

And the Mavericks have three options with the 13th pick. Here they are in
order of likelihood:

Find a willing trade partner who is likely to be
picking in the middle of the first round next year and deal this year’s pick,
straight up. The chances of this happening improve once Dallas gets on the
clock.

Draft an international player who can be stashed
overseas and won’t clog up any room on this year’s salary cap. This possibility
also includes trading down since a lot of the plentiful international talent
should be available between 20 and 30. Players like Dennis Schroeder and Giannis
Adetokunbo are possibilities.

Take the pick. There is a school of thought that the
Mavericks are getting more comfortable with the idea of keeping the pick —
provided somebody they are comfortable with falls to No. 13. That would mean
it’s a player they are confident they could get rid of if they suddenly find out
Howard loves Dallas.

That’s where it gets interesting. If the Mavericks feel like their legitimate
shot at Howard is getting smaller by the day, then they would be more inclined
to take a player they might keep — if the right player falls to 13.

Then again, that possibility might be designed to drive up the price for the
13th pick.

It’s the way draft day goes. The Mavericks have options. They probably won’t
end up with the pick. But they also have a second-rounder — and remember the
name Alex Abrines from Spain — and last year’s second-rounders were Jae Crowder
and Bernard James.

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